"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation.

You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."

Dr. Adrian Rogers 1931-2005

Sunday, January 31, 2010

We have two young families that come to church...and they both have new ones. Here is Bill with the momma's and their babies. The babies reminded me of something 17 years ago that Bill and I had(two wee babes)...Here are Third and Second today..."playing wee ones on Dad's lap"-lolThese two wee ones:Jovanni-l and Kylie-r are 1 month and 10 months respectively are the same age difference as Second and Third(third was preemie)...I cannot believe I had two babies this close together in age! These wee ones reminded Bill and I of how fast times pass... today we became "honorary" grandparents...AND WE ARE BEAMING!Grandparents, even honorary, have important roles to fill. Playing on the floor is part of the turf...as is taking the babies from the momma's the minute they show up-(as they need a break-translation: Jen loves holding them!)Kylie having a moment with Bill...I cannot believe that it has been 17 years since my middle two were so small! Dear H and D(the momma's) we are ever so thankful to have gotten to know you and your lovely families. Thanks for being the mothers you are and thanks for our first grandbabies- we are proud as punch!

Friday, January 29, 2010

I love the Laura Ingalls Wilder books- you know the Little House on the Prairie series, and one book in the series is titled The Long Winter...sigh. It seems like she wrote about a year like this one as we have had so much snow.

Just for the record, those of us that live in the desert are familiar with snow gear...we just use it a bit differently...the photo below is how we usually use sled~and note the clothes. We use sleds while wearing shorts and need to have sunblock, water and shade. We sled each year multiple times...at White Sands National Park...and temps average upper 90's not 30's.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

I have teens as many readers know. They do not require me to constantly be there when they buy things such as the clothes they wear. My second son bought some shoes at a local sporting goods store a few months ago. They are pretty standard as shoes go, in fact, until three days ago I never thought much about them, unless I tripped over them!

Then three days ago I happened to be sitting across from him as he was putting them on getting ready to head in to his part time job in town. I thought my eyes were seeing things- but no they weren't- this is what I saw on the bottom of his shoes:Note-sideways it was clear as a bell what is on the bottom(not the gunk- he does work at a feed store) MAO...This guy...is who MAO is. But who is Mao? I mean people wear designers names printed somewhere on the item. But Mao? Maybe I was seeing things, so I looked again this morning:

Clear as a bell isn't it? So I asked my son if he noticed this on the bottom- he said no. He is a teen, a male one at that, and clothing for him has two styles: on the floor dirty, and on the floor where he put it when I sent the clothes to him to put away. He had no idea and so I had all the kids look up Mao.

Glenn Beck has a clip about Anita Dunn saying that Mao was one of her favorite philosophers. So he must no have been too bad, right? Listen to her words and then you research yourself about Chairman Mao

What a philosopher! Wow I feel better especially since my son has been wearing this piece of vomit on his feet for weeks. I am disgusted beyond measure that people find Mao something cool~hip~ and now to place him on shoes...

I am disgusted that in a sports store, shoes like this were sold. I am disgusted that I had missed this for a few months. I am disgusted that we have many in our nation that find Mao someone worth noting(and not because he was responsible for over 20-60 million peoples deaths).

It it time to stop the insanity. It is time to take back the place we convince other Americans that evil twisted men should be idolized. It is time we take back our public schools. Our children should learn about Mao- but not as a great philosopher, but as an evil sick man.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Corn:Based on this link, every 3.6 seconds someone in the world dies of hunger. Every 3.6 seconds. We live in times where the climate and man's impact on the earth have made man act in bizarre ways. 1/4 of all the corn and maize products grown in the United States do not go for humans to eat...but to fuel cars. 1/4th of potential food goes into cars...the article states that this movement was

launched by former President George Bush in 2007 [and] is impacting on world food supplies.

Well no kidding it is impacting food supplies! Was President George W. Bush the only one desiring this earth friendly save the planet movement? I have news for you, the global warming/cooling/climate change unraveled due to emails leaked about the leading scientists involved falsifying data...Climategate the new accepted term as to what is going on with our environment is man made all right- man made B.S.

As a result of liars- the Western world has embraced this sense of urgency to Save the Planet. You know, as we are the hero as well as the villain in this story. Remember this from Al Gore

we may have less than 10 years in order to make dramatic changes lest we lose the chance to, to avoid catastrophic results from the climate crisis.

With that I journey to my next section: Climate- yes they all will be linked!Do you know how much money our elected officials spent in Copenhagen, when they attended the conference to discuss the climate issues? Link here and here...makes me sick, as if conservation of electricity and the impact of jet fuel on mother earth may not really be a big area of concern for them.

A blogger has hosted for a few years running A Cloth Wipe Challenge...where people stop using toilet paper and use reusable cloth wipes: click here.

Hollywood uses its platform for the earth... here, and here, and here, and here...and we all know that actors and actresses really want to do good, and they are sincere- even though their entire career is based on how well they can lie to us(you know, convince us that they are the character that they are playing).

Here is a link so that our teachers can teach your children properly about how bad man is(not those who made up the data to falsify the findings).

Now to Cold... as I continue to tie all the C's together.This article shares with us folks who

Since I know a lot of you can't commit to as low temperatures as others, it's just fine if you pledge to drop it down one degree or so from where you usually keep it. Even that makes a huge difference. You'll find that, as the winter wears on, you'll be able to drop it lower as you adjust to the new, lower temperatures. So, if you don't want to take the icy plunge, don't feel like you have to drop it 10 degrees right away.

To sign up for the challenge, add a comment to this post and pledge what temperatures you will keep your thermostat. I'm wimping out this year and pledging for 65 day and 58 night. You are more than welcome to meander through the posts from last year's challenge if you want to know what you're in for.

As in the first year, this year's challenge mascot is the Arctic Seal. That roly poly little snow covered baby seal needs our help. Help prevent his extinction by preserving the Arctic environment by using less energy, reducing the amount of CO2 added to the atmosphere and stopping global climate change(emphasis mine)

Which she hosts because she believes in the statistical data that the scientists have been pushing.

People are doing some drastic things to save a planet that has been around for over 4 billion years. Man's existence has only been a bleep in the annals of time...HOW DARE we allow the Al Gore's and the elite push this agenda?

People are starving to death when we use fuel so Hollywood can drive eco friendly cars- NOTE:

People Are Dying...so PEOPLE CAN FEEL GOOD ABOUT SAVING THE PLANET...based on data that has been FUDGED.

People are freezing....so PEOPLE CAN FEEL GOOD ABOUT SAVING THE PLANET...based on data that has been FUDGED.

People are spending tons of money on eco friendly items....so PEOPLE CAN FEEL GOOD ABOUT SAVING THE PLANET...based on data that has been FUDGED.

Al Gore is making tons of money Screaming the Sky is Falling...and good honest people and nations continue to buy into his scam.

It is time to get the corn back in the food cycle again- it is time for the climate fluctuations to be duly noted as natural changes in the earth's cycle, and it it time to get out of the cold...

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Alamogordo, New Mexico is quite a place to live as there is so much about the community that makes it so unique. For one thing we have a foreign military permanently attached to a local air force base. Because of the German Air Force base in our county we have a German book selection in our local library. The German's bring their spouses and children on their tour here in NM. We even have a German school here.

This is in the children's section of the library.

Here is the adult section.

Our community is a crossroads of sorts for several cultures as we have the Mescalero Indian Reservation, Mexico, the German attachment, and even the state school for the blind. This makes for a diverse population that most areas do not have unless they are a major metropolitan area.

I confess that I was shocked to learn that a foreign military has a training center inside the United States...and will leave it at that.Jennifer

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

I found this photo of my second son today on the computer and "lifted" it to share as I think it is a neat photo. Second, as he is known in blogland is 17 and will be 18 in June. Since October he has been busy studying Fire Science and goes to training twice a week. He is an incredible youngman that loves life.

Here is his uniform (the one on the right) and you must have guessed that he is a volunteer fireman by now! Pretty amazing isn't he? I am allowing myself a moment to be a proud mother hen, as he sure makes Bill and I so proud!

Second~thanks for being the son you have been and we love the man you are becoming!

Introducing the first birth on the farm for 2010! It is a female and she was born around 2:30am! This wee one is the third birth on the farm this year and the second live kid. From 6:45 am until around 8:15 Paint(the mama) struggled with number two. Nervously switching hats, I assisted turning the kid...it was stillborn. But the moment #2 was out the next one delivered beautifully!

Paint cleaning the third one up, and see the cutie in the background? If you note the plywood- this pen is the birthing pen but we were not done yet, and the little one was going through the fencing so the teens put up the plywood at o'dawn thirty to keep the kids in the pen. We have been slowly but surely overhauling all the pens and building new. All we need to remedy the fence issue(as it is field fence) is to buy smaller hole fencing to keep the kids in the birthing pen. But this is all a learning curve for sure, and I did think many times this morning-boy I am in way over my head!

Paint has been a wonderful goat-she is a pygmy LaMancha mix and she did fantastic this morn. For me, I can honestly say that I was praying Bill would not have gone to work, but Second was an incredible moral support for me(I am pretty creeped out by blood etc) and I was able to turn the second kid so it would deliver. As I post the pictures I am pleased that things are ok even though we lost one of the three.

By the way the first born I think we are going to name Petra! It just so happens that my brother Pete was born on this day 45 years ago-what other name could I pick?

Sunday, January 17, 2010

These pictures are from the 28th of December and I fed the animals alone as the kids and Bill were in town. It is a frenzy when we feed and I often think of sharks-funny as I am far removed from an ocean!

Colonel Sanders with some of his "girls"

You can still see the damage to the ground from the summer flooding. The turkey is one of the turkeys hatched last spring! He is so proud!

Here is kitty~want to know what she is watching?

Dinner for the birds...

As I walked from front to back to feed the big animals after feeding the birds, I felt that something was watching me. It was a creepy feeling until I heard a noise and looked up. On the roof was one of the spring turkeys. She seemed to like the views!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

The link in the previous post was to point out some things. A different perspective was left in the comments on suggesting that the post I linked to was urging one to be a defeatist and it was something I never expected. I saw it about attitude... So I think that I better delve a bit deeper on the link and why I believe the post is all about attitude.

For what God shows us about attitude while in a situation such as slavery or imprisonment I immediately think of two books in the Bible. First I think of the book of Esther. The king sought virgins to be purified for him and his pleasure. Esther was a Jew and young and innocent. She had little or no say in the matter of becoming the mistress of the king. She found favor in the kings eyes and actually becomes his queen. The book is truly an incredible read for it has all the plots that we see in the movies today and is well worth reading. Esther was positioned to intervene against an evil plot by Haman to destroy the Jews (Haman was kind of an olden day wanna be Hitler)...and she does. But make no mistake about Esther's situation, she had no control over her life, yet she chose to have an attitude that stopped the destruction of the Jews.

I also think of Daniel and his friends in the book of Daniel. They were teens most likely that were taken captive. They were taken to a country that did not believe in the God that they did, and were expected to take on names that were after pagan gods. Even under the stressful situation Daniel choose to stay focused and have hope. He was not a defeatist in any measure. While in captivity he made a stand for what he would eat and that he would continue to pray to God. These acts were totally defiant to those who saw him as a captive, but Daniel showed us that we never give up who we are even if we are taken custody of and are made prisoners.

Taking the holocaust and what happened to the Jew because of Hitler I think of those who maintained hope while they lost everything. They lived in hell on earth, yet so many stories by survivors make me weep with amazement at how they could continue on while those around them took everything away from them- including in most cases every other member of their family.

Being caged does not mean giving up hope...and being a Christian or a Jew does not either. Tomorrow is coming and if you are alive you understand that nothing you do can stop the world moving forward. All you can do is decide how you will allow it to impact you(which secondarily impacts those around you).

I also know of a woman who had a childhood that lacked nothing in material nature. To outsiders it looked as if this woman had everything. The house was grand, the property was immaculate, the clothing was always new and top of the line, yet this woman, when she was a child was in prison. No matter what she did, she could not escape the daily hell of living with a monster. This monster had complete control over her day and muddled her dreams to this very day. Yet hope she had. Solace was found in simple walks around the property. Joy was found in laying on the plush grass and studying the clouds and secretly thinking about the day when she peeked at the sky and was not afraid to go inside.

This woman had hope of a day when the torment would end. There was no fighting to the last breath as the chopping block and size was not in the hands of this woman when she was so small. In fact to this day she still is small. But as a child she knew of no way to fight as who would help? Who would believe? Yet in her mind she fought daily. She plotted and planned her rescue coming in the form of Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, and Mike Schmidt as she absolutely loved baseball. She fought in her mind by not allowing him to win everything, even if he was the master of her entire universe. She created many stories in her mind to give her comfort.

She lived daily thinking of giraffes and how tall they were and how incredible they were...and she related with them because even in the grand scheme of being so tall the giraffe had a weakness when it drank. This woman had a weakness too, it was that she was a child. That is it. Nothing else except that she was a blond haired, blue-eyed little one that most called Peanut because she was so petite. She sang though. Boy did she ever, she sang when she played, when she ran, even when she joined Little League on the boys team because she was so fast and she was a pretty good ball player. She was not a defeatist and never never never never gave up hope. That day when she saw sunshine and realized that it was over happened in 1979.

That little bird that was caged for too long survived and realized that no matter what the day will come. No matter what one does to another physically they cannot and will not take over the little bird's ATTITUDE.

By the way, that little Peanut grew up and still refuses to give up, even when everything around her falls down. She refused to give up when she nearly lost her husband and she cherishes each and every moment that she is granted the time to be a mother – and that her little ones now big, never had iron bars smothering them. She refuses, to this day, to be defeated and she is overcome with joy that she is alive and that she can live at the foot of an incredible mountain. She is so grateful that even though she was a caged bird she sang, because it has made her who she is today.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

I really don't have much else to write, as I have been getting so many comments from either Japan or China(as when I translate both work) and I just wonder what is going on...some days I have so many comments I can't begin to process them...which led me to think of these photos.

None of us are immune* to the power of advertising. I recall my younger sister when she was just three could sing all the jingles to the commercials...not while she was watching the commercial, but when we were walking through the grocery store and saw the item.

I think in truth, the advertisers hit upon the part of us that desires justification. We like the products and they make it a slam dunk for us! I mean who doesn't like Cocoa Krispies?(well besides me?)

Now to my final ad for the day:

This is a Dockers ad~ talk about going full circle!

*if we only ate more Cocoa Krispies, perhaps we would build up immunities to these kinds of advertising strategies(lol)!

Monday, January 4, 2010

This is a post that may seem directed to women, but for any man reading this they can insert him or he instead of the female pronoun. This morning as I was reading Hosea I made a few index card notes. Not of scripture verses. When I looked at these notes I realized that I had the basics of a marriage reboot session. So here are my notes which are both in question and statement form. Ponder your relationship with your spouse for each question/statement.

1) Do you know him?

2)Do you love him?

3)Do not be ungrateful to him.

4) Do not fail to recognize him.

5) Do not be unfaithful to him.

6) Do not forget him.

Part I

Now my thoughts on our spouses:1) Do you know him? This is a very important question. I mean this quiet seriously. Do you know him in every area? Have you tried to get to know your spouse. Dating didn't end when you married. This is a daily thing. And this is not just about the trivial things either. This is about how your spouse feels about God, love, life, children, and even how he sees you...truly(not how you see yourself)

2)Do you love him? I mean deep down, heart stops for a moment when you think of the moment that you will have to part(as one dies).

3)Do not be ungrateful to him. Are you purposeful spiteful, when he seems to have more down time, or because he is not home when you have to address issues with the children? Do you go out of your way to make sure he understands how much you appreciate the fact that you have food, shelter, clothing, and love? Make sure that you implement the very same things you did when you dated, romantic notes, hugs for no reason, and hold his hand. This is very important.

4) Do not fail to recognize him. Are you sometimes so busy with the children or home that you forget his importance when he arrives home? Do you make decisions then seek his advice? Always place your spouse in the role of senior adviser. They are your spouse. You selected him, and he therefore is who you lean on in every situation, not a girlfriend, nor your blog, or your parents, but him. Trust in him, make him the one you all stand and greet when he arrives home.

5) Do not be unfaithful to him. Now this is one that most of us will say, well I am not unfaithful. Friends we are unfaithful when we share all our troubles, fights and woes with the outside before we give him a chance to work it out with us. We are unfaithful to him, when we fail to recognize that he needs more than a hug, he needs intimacy. He needs you to believe that he is the greatest human to live. He is the most handsome, the most noble, and the most brave. When you slip in comments about another man about his characteristics, then you are inadvertently being unfaithful to your husband. Now I am not saying that when I see a young man acting heroically that I cannot point this out. I am saying that when you point out others and what they have, you are offhandedly telling your love that he cannot do this for you. Give him a chance to be the Noble man and he will not fail you, not when you are there behind him supporting him and cheering him on.

6) Do not forget him. This is so sad. We get so consumed with our life and the busy things ongoing that we forget the very person we love so dearly. The world will not cease if you miss one meeting, or an activity. But if you continue to seek the outside the very inside(your home will suffer). Let him know that he is first in your life. Make sure that you take care of his clothes so that he goes to world, clean and pressed. Serve meals that he loves(you can have your favorites for lunch), and make 2-3 special desserts a week. Now for health reasons, maybe you make something that is a treat to him. Write a short note and place it in his wallet for him to find. Let him know that sometime during the day, you thought of him. Not only call him, but create a haven for him to know that if you are with him that you are going to be just fine.We get so consumed with *rights* and I am somebody, that we forget that being a wife is a God given design(husband too). We are no less because we stay home. We are important in the role of being a wife. Now some of you have to work or worked during the younger years, and I am not saying that that was incorrect. What I am saying is that marriage is covenant given by God. We must never minimize it, nor 'worldize' the sacredness of the union. Please take a moment and try out some of these methods(kudos if you are on this track). Even if your spouse does not reciprocate, he will notice. It may take time to change attitudes, but he will then start placing you, his wife on a higher plane.

Part II

Even though I realized that this was a great marriage lesson the real reason I took the notes was because I was thinking of God and where we are with Him.

1) Do you know Him? Meaning have you received Him as your Saviour? You cannot begin relationship unless you actually take the gift He freely gave. He died on the cross for your sins. Once you know Him, then the rest can fall in place...

2)Do you love Him? This is a big one. I mean do you love Him? Really truly? Well as best as you can as being man. Remember the love you have for your spouse, doesn't the Saviour deserve this and more?

3)Do not be ungrateful to Him. Wow, each and every day we are ungrateful to Him. We ignore His word, His sacrifice for the world. To remedy this, make time to read His word, to pray to Him, and to live by the pattern He set up in His book.

4) Do not fail to recognize Him. Another big one. This is not in what we do, as no works can achieve this. This is by admitting how much we cannot do anything without Him. I mean the money the home, the clothing, the food, the breath you take is because of Him. Do not for one moment think that you have something because of your doing. Give God the glory.

5) Do not be unfaithful to Him. Well the television in the United States is pulling so many away from our Lord and Saviour. The TV is placed in the family room...not God. We strive to emulate what we see on TV(like it or not we do) and we allow this to become unfaithful to the Lord. Our barriers are broken down, and we hear language that is foul, and the immorality and we do not shut it off. We are unfaithful to Him by the way we strive to accumulate, thereby implying that it is the here and now that maintain your focus. We are unfaithful to Him in another sense too. Sometimes we portray ourselves as the perfect ones obedient to the core. This really shows our unfaithfulness. You see when one is to get right with God it is always portrayed by wearing sackcloth and ashes. So being faithful and dressing and living a modest life is faithful until you allow this to be YOUR stumbling block. And friends none of are immune to feeling as though we are the only correct ones on the planet. Remember this...Jesus Christ church is not only full of Methodist, not Lutherans, not Baptist or an Independent, but it is filled with believers, who have received His gift.

6) Do not forget Him. How much time do you devote to personal grooming? To television, to your family? To your hobby? To your job? How much time to you devote to Him? 30 minutes in the morning? 20 minutes? 10 minutes? 5 minutes???Well now you can see why I wrote these 6 things down? I really came to the conclusion that I have so much to do. I need to be in His word, I need to be praying and fasting. I really was amazed at how easy it was for me to think of things for my spouse and then ashamed to be lacking in what I have for the Lord. I pray that this helps you.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Out in the sticks the feral cat population can become a problem. We have several outdoor cats to combat the rodents near the animal pens. The problem here, on the Double Nickel, was that the feral cats started coming to feeding time for our cats. I would look out and at the dish should be 5 cats and instead I saw so many that I honestly could not count. So I began formulating a plan that cost a bit in cat food, but today proved successful.

I began calling the cats as I would feed and the feral ones would come and eat with my cats. They became accustomed to me sitting near the dish as they would eat, and would meow when I would carry the dish of food, just like my cats. We found a rancher who wanted cats to live at his haybarn to combat the rats there so all we had to do was round the critters up here. This is not easy with feral cats and we did not want to be scratched or bit.

This morning I set up two cages with catfood in, one just inside my doorway and one on the front porch. The not so feral ones actually came inside to the cage to eat(as I called them like I always do). That cage ended up with six cats in it! Then on the porch I had to be a little patient. I placed the dish inside and called and sat just by the kennel door to close it when they went inside. Slowly a few more cats came and began eating -although nervously as they were in the cage. Then to my amazement one of my crazy hens walked up the steps and went in the cage and began eating the cat food with the cats. I mentally laughed as I quickly closed the cage! We caught 9 cats and one Barred Rock chicken(which we released) in this roundup! Bill and Second are driving these cats off to their new home and we should be free of the feral cats for awhile. We have been told that the previous owner let cats go to live wild-which is why the population grew. We fix our cats...to not have this problem- but I am not concerned anymore as it was easier than we expected to collect them and resolve the problem!

So today we have added one new skill to our list of things we have learned on this journey- Cat Roundup!

About Me

I have been married to my best friend for nearly 29 years and we live on a small farm in the middle of the desert.
We have four children (now adults) three daughters-in-law, two grandsons and look forward to many more added to the fold.